From left, Three Kings Restaurant Group partners David Massoni and John Bush, Grandview Public Market developer Chris Vila and celebrity chef Dale Talde stop for a photo during a tour of the upcoming food hall. Photo: Andres Leiva/ The Palm Beach Post

Sneak peek: South Florida’s first modern food hall rises in West Palm Beach

At first glance, the site of the upcoming Grandview Public Market did not inspire much confidence in New York restaurateur David Massoni some months ago. It was a solitary, rugged corner of the warehouse zone that stretches southwest of downtown West Palm Beach.

Massoni, a partner of celebrity chef Dale Talde, had Uber-ed in from Miami to meet the food hall developer Chris Vila. But when the driver dropped him off, Massoni wondered if he had arrived at the right place.

Fast-forward to this week: There’s no doubt among Massoni and his Three Kings Restaurant Group partners that this is not only the right place, but the right time for the ambitious project.

As construction workers buzzed about the 12,000-square-foot warehouse, the three partners and Vila toured the cavernous converted mid-century structure that will house Grandview Public Market, which will be home to three distinct food and drink concepts by Three Kings, along with a select batch of local vendors.

Chef Dale Talde, left, watches as Grandview Public Market developer Chris Vila explains the layout of the food hall during a tour of the warehouse space on Wednesday.
(Andres Leiva/ The Palm Beach Post)

That would make Grandview the first food hall of its kind in South Florida. (Several are on deck to open in Miami after Grandview’s anticipated debut.) In some ways, it follows in the tradition of the New York-style food halls, offering unique yet accessible food and drink options and some retail outlets in a browse-able space. And, no, this is not a glorified food court, but a hip, diverse space that aims to build community among vendors and customers.

Unlike some northern halls, Grandview will offer a large swath of landscaped outdoor spots to eat, drink and linger. There are plans to include a freight farm to grow herbs that could be used in the hall’s food spaces.

“There’s a lot of synergy here,” said Talde, a “Top Chef” alum and culinary talent behind Clare’s Chicken and The Corner, two of the Three Kings’ concepts coming to Grandview.

Clare’s Chicken is Grandview’s largest food concept, an ample, eat-in space that will serve rotisserie and fried chicken meals with a variety of flavor accents. The Corner, which anchors a corner of hall, will serve made-to-order, Detroit-style square pizza. Because it’s a square pie, every pizza slice will be a corner, Talde notes.

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The pizza spot sits just steps across from Little Red Truck, the bar that will serve wine, beer and craft cocktails created by Three Kings’ beverage master John Bush.

Scattered throughout the hall, local favorites are well represented: Rabbit Coffee Roasting Company has a café stand, located next to the main entrance. Celis Produce has an adjacent spot, selling fresh juices, acai bowls and produce. Zipitios taco shop anchors a tropical blue corner of the hall, next to another entrance, across from The Corner and Little Red Truck.

Grandview will also offer areas for lingering and leisurely dining. Lined with greenery, the long, wide terrace known as The Loading Dock will provide outdoor seating. Inside the hall, there’s a large space for indoor dining/lounging called The Living Room. Expect sofas, large walnut-wood community tables, even a shuffleboard game in the vast room that can double as an event space.

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Vila envisions a food hall that will appeal to a wide range of visitors, including families with young children. He has helped steer some of the menus to include kid-friendly items as well as dishes for the health-minded.

Grandview Public Market is part of West Palm Beach’s emerging Warehouse District, a sprawling complex of vintage buildings that is shaping up as an eclectic urban village of food and beverage creators, artists, fitness buffs and other indie entrepreneurs. The district will include a craft beer brewery, Steam Horse, to be opened by the master brewers behind Tequesta Brewing Company and Twisted Trunk.

As for the market, says, Vila, the aim is to create a kind of community hub that could draw residents several time a week, or even more than once a day.

“This is the kind of place where you can come for coffee in the morning after dropping the kids off at school, shop for produce, and come back later for happy hour.”

Grandview Public Market: Coming this fall to 1401 Clare Ave., West Palm Beach. The market will open daily from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. To learn more, visit www.grandviewpublic.com.